Subspecialty training pathways in intellectual and developmental disability psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand: current status and future opportunities

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the training experiences of and determine capacity to train future Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists working in intellectual and developmental disability mental health. Methods: Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists with expertise or interest in intellectual and developmental disability mental health completed an online survey detailing their training pathway, support for subspecialty training and capacity to provide rotations in this area. Results: Psychiatrists ( n=71) indicated the most common reasons they started practicing in intellectual and developmental disability mental health, and these included seeing people with intellectual or developmental disability in a service in which they worked, or personal experience with intellectual or developmental disability. Compared to those trained overseas, psychiatrists trained in Australia or New Zealand had lower ratings of the sufficiency of education received in intellectual and developmental disability mental health. Of the total respondents, 80% supported the development of subspecialty training. Augmentation of intellectual and developmental disability mental health content in the intermediate stage of training was also strongly supported. Participants identified 80 potential six-month training rotations in this area. Conclusions: Psychiatrists working in intellectual and developmental disability mental health strongly support enhancements to intellectual or developmental disability training, including the development of subspecialty training, and can identify potential training capacity if such subspecialty training was developed.

Clinical capacity of Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists who work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

“…However, this data is essential to identifying avenues for enhancing workforce capacity and is thus detailed in Eagelson et al (2019). 5 Our findings indicate there is an established IDDMH workforce across Australia and New Zealand providing support in multiple settings. However, closer analysis indicates a relatively small number are providing the majority of services.…”

“…However, this data is essential to identifying avenues for enhancing workforce capacity and is thus detailed in Eagelson et al (2019). 5…”

“…Results from sections iii) pathways to gaining an interest/work in the area of IDDMH; iv) support for, and interest in undertaking advanced training in IDDMH; v) capacity and interest in training future psychiatrists in the area of IDDMH are detailed in an accompanying paper (Eagleson et al, 2019). 5 Some questions were adapted from the RANZCP workforce survey. 6,7 Informed consent was obtained from all participants.…”

The current state of training in psychiatry of intellectual disability: perspectives of trainees and trainers

“…The influence of experience in working with individuals with intellectual disability on choice of future work has been demonstrated widely, including in other health services, for instance, in Australia. 14 It is concerning, therefore, to find that at least one-third of areas do not currently require core trainees to undertake a clinical placement in developmental psychiatry. At present, a review of the curricula is being undertaken by the Royal College of Psychiatrists; therefore, there is potential for this to change in the future.…”

Has teaching about intellectual disability healthcare in Australian medical schools improved? A 20-year comparison of curricula audits

“…Another survey of Australian general practitioners examining barriers and solutions to providing high-quality healthcare to people with ID found that over a third of respondents said that they were not confident treating people with ID [ 14 ]. Similarly, Australian consultant and trainee psychiatrists rated their training in ID mental health as inadequate and voiced a lack of confidence to meet the needs of people with ID [ 15 , 16 ]. While Victorian psychiatrists reported improvements in ID mental health training in the decade prior to 2004, they expressed that further improvements were required [ 17 ].…”